Why eat more eggs? A few years ago, health organizations issued a warning about the cholesterol contained in eggs. Like many other foods such as coconut oil or avocados, eggs were mistakenly thought to be bad for your health.
While the average large egg delivers between 180-186 mg of cholesterol, your liver produces anywhere between 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg each day on its own.
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| Credit:healthliving.info |
Basically, when you consume foods that contain cholesterol, your liver adjusts itself by decreasing its own production. This means that eating eggs doesn’t increase the existing amounts of cholesterol in your body, you’re simply replacing one type with another. So would it be a good thing to eat more eggs?
Today, a closer look at this yummy breakfast food really shows 7 reasons why it’s worth incorporating more of it into your diet.
1. Nutrients
When it comes to nutritional value, eggs really give you the best bang for your buck. Loaded with vitamin A, E, B6 and B12, thiamin, riboflavin folate, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, selenium and so much more, it’s hard to find other foods with such a varied nutrient profile.
2. Cholesterol
The greatest criticism against eggs is that they contain high levels of cholesterol.
However, eggs contain high-density lipoproteins (HDL) which are actually vital for the body and brain.
HDL provides stability in every cell of your body and helps your body produce vitamin D and hormones like testosterone, estrogen and cortisol.
Unlike low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), which clings to the walls of your blood vessels, HDL cholesterol scrubs the inner walls of these vessels and prevents atherosclerosis. It also lowers LDL levels and does not contribute to heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people, so you can eat as many as you want.
Regular egg consumption can, however, increase likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in diabetics.
So there you have it, the confusion surrounding the health status of HDL in eggs and high cholesterol has been debunked. You can eat more eggs with less worry.
To keep cholesterol levels controlled, it’s best to just avoid eating excessive amounts of sugar, exercise daily, maintain a healthy weight, eat more veggies and stop smoking.
3. Choline
Eggs are a great source of choline, an essential nutrient that promotes brain development and memory function. It’s actually a precursor for neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. It’s so important for the brain that pregnant women are highly suggested to take choline supplements to avoid developmental abnormalities in the womb.
Currently, roughly 90% of American are deficient in choline, making them more prone to muscle damage and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
4. Keeps Your Eyes Sharp
Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoid vitamins that are essential for your vision. Together, they reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, which causes blindness in older age.
The cartenoids protect the eyes from sunlight damage, improve night vision and reduce risk of developing cataracts by up to 50%.
5. Feed Your Muscles
2 eggs supply as much protein as 1 serving of meat, without exposing you to as much fat and acidity as most meats. Although many diets suggest eating only the egg whites for a lean, strong, protein source but half of the total protein in the egg is found in the yolk. So eat more eggs to gain muscle. It’s good on the wallet as well.
6. Feeds Your Bones
Eggs contains both calcium and vitamin D, the building blocks your body needs to maintain bones, particularly for ensuring proper bone density. Vitamin D actually boosts your body’s ability to absorb calcium. Calcium is also necessary for blood clotting, nerves signals and muscles contractions.
7. Promotes Weight Loss
Because eggs are nutrient-dense, they are more filling than most foods. They’re also low in calories, making them much more diet-friendly than most protein-rich foods. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition and the International Journal of Obesity both conducted studies that concluded that eating eggs during breakfast can reduce the amount of food you eat later in the day.
The habit also resulted in greater weight loss, greater reduction in waist circumference and greater reduction in body fat than other breakfast foods.
Bottom Line
What all of this means is that adding eggs to your diet isn’t unhealthy. In many cases, eggs will benefit your body more than you think. While you shouldn’t try to eat 10 eggs everyday, 2 to 3 eggs per day is perfectly fine in healthy individuals who are trying stay healthy.
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